May 10, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 9: Sindh has sought sizable additional resources in the budget 2006-07 to solve its financial problems. Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the provincial government also wanted the royalty on oil extracted in Sindh increased. It has assured the centre that 50 per cent royalty of oil particularly that of Badin district will be spent on Badin and other districts where natural resources were being extracted.

The sources said the ministry of petroleum and natural resources had shown sympathy for Sindh’s desire for higher royalty for its oil to help mitigate the province’s financial problems.

The issue, the sources said, was discussed threadbare when President Gen Pervez Musharraf visited Badin and Karachi in March last year. The president had favoured additional resources for Sindh to help it undertake new development projects.

One such project that needs immediate financial assistance relates to enhancing the capacity of Akram Wah Water Channel in the province from 3,600 cusecs to 6,000 cusecs. A feasibility study on redesigning the channel has already been submitted to the Planning Commission.

Sindh maintains that the existing canal does not take its design discharge as well as extra supplies for lands transferred from Sukkur Barrage command to Akram Wah, WASA, SITE and forest supplies which need about 3000 cusecs additional supplies. “Hence enhancement from 3600 cusecs to 6000 cusecs is very necessary,” wrote Sindh government to the Planning Commission.

The provincial government said that no allocation was kept in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2005-06 for the project. However, it said that as per directives of President Musharraf, necessary funds should be provided to the Sindh government to carry out the task of enhancing water supplies in the province.

The Akram Wah is initially designed for 3714 cusecs as perennial canal which off-take from Left Bank Cotri Barrage Head Works. The length of Main Canal is 76.40 miles and the gross commanded area is 6,53,797 acres and culturable command area is 5,93,032, with the intensity in Kharif 45 percent and Rabi 33 percent respectively.

With the passage of time, Sindh government informed the Planning Commission, another area of Sukkar Barrage command of 1,06,388 acres was also transferred and settled at various channels of this system. And more than 110 cusecs are utilized for non-irrigation purpose such as drinking and industrial requirements for Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), water supplies to cities and areas like Malti, Tando Bago, Pangrio, SITE, Badin cantt and sugar mills and forests.